Parents Sue To End Anti-Bullying Course

Two parents are suing the Alameda County school district in California because they don't want kids to be taught that it's wrong to beat up gay kids.

Kerry Cook and Serena Dietrich filed a suit Feb. 18 in Alameda County Superior Court that seeks to nullify the school board's Dec. 8 vote to readopt Lesson 9 for Alameda's elementary schools until a replacement curriculum is approved and to adopt a Links to Literature guide. Cook and Dietrich's attorney, Peter Hagberg, wrote that the district added the Links guide at the last minute and that it didn't have readoption of Lesson 9 on the agenda for the Dec. 8 meeting. He also said the guide was not available when he went to the district's office to view it. Hagberg wrote the district a Jan. 4 letter asking them to rescind the vote, the suit says. He also told school board members at their Feb. 9 meeting that he intended to sue if they did not do so. Hagberg did not return a call seeking comment.

Lesson 9 is a once a year 45-minute presentation that suggests respect for all students. THAT is what they are suing about.